Jesus came to free humanity from the bondage of wayward desires that enslave us, and deliver from the eternal consequences of our moral evil or bad karma that threatens us with penalties. God the Father, out of His love for the world, sent his Son, Jesus, to be an atoning sacrifice for us. Jesus knew being a redeemer would cost his life, but he was willing.
The narratives of Jesus’ temptations (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13) reveal that Satan invited Jesus to pursue an easier and more comfortable shortcut to the fulfillment of God’s will. But Jesus did not succumb to underhanded methods to win approval from the crowd. He knew the way of God involved being an atoning sacrifice for the consequences of our moral evil or bad karma.
Jesus proclaimed and lived the good news of the kingdom of God. The result was that one of the sworn enemies of Jesus Christ and His followers, named Paul, who was on a mission to torture the followers of Christ, was transformed! No wonder Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Having experienced the transforming power of the Gospel from deception to truth, injustice to justice, violence to peace, Paul himself suffered much to share the good news of Christ.
The Gospel of Christ is called news for it is historical, and it is good because Jesus sets us free from all bondages and gives us freedom, security and new life. The Bible says “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). He loved all of His creation, and set an example for us to do the same. Good news creates a transforming attitude of gratitude to what Christ our redeemer has done for us. When we encounter Christ, we experience the transforming love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Are we loving and serving others?